Finally, a review of my latest CD by Stephen Eddins at AllMusic, and a nice, five-star one. For the record, he's wrong about one point: there's no 12-step equal temperament in The Day Revisited, the whole piece uses one 29-pitch scale. It's always interesting how people's ears attempt to deal with my crazy tunings. … [Read more...]

There are two high-profile Gann performances this week, and only one of them is mine.  This Friday, Leon Botstein will conduct the American Symphony Orchestra in Symphony No. 1 by Bernard Gann. Now, let me contextualize that statement a little. Every year just before graduation, Leon (our president) conducts his orchestra in a program of student compositions and concerto movements with student performers. This year there are four student compositions, by Craig Judelman, Kevin Gordon, Ben Richter (my student), and my son. Secondly, Bernard's … [Read more...]

This quotation from G.K. Chesterton, posted as a comment to Glenn Greenwald's heroic column at Salon.com, is too apropos not to help circulate:It may be said with rough accuracy that there are three stages in the life of a strong people. First, it is a small power, and fights small powers. Then it is a great power, and fights great powers. Then it is a great power, and fights small powers, but pretends that they are great powers, in order to rekindle the ashes of its ancient emotion and vanity. After that, the next step is to become a small … [Read more...]

One of my new Serbian friends, Marija Masnikosa, who did her doctoral dissertation on postminimalist music from Serbia (not master's, as I originally reported), has sent me a CD of string orchestra pieces by the composers she wrote about. All of them are intriguing, with many moments of surprising loveliness, and all seven are going on Postclassic Radio post-haste.  The composers represented are (and I apologize that I can't input the correct diacritical markings, most of the C's have accents or carets above them) Zoran Eric, Katarina … [Read more...]

New today on Postclassic Radio: a rare Charlemagne Palestine Voice Study from the mid-'60s, pianist Ana Cervantes playing music by Alex Shapiro, Arturo Marquez, and Laurie Altman, other pieces by Shapiro from her Notes from the Kelp CD, music by David McIntire, Matt Le Groulx, Redhooker (Stephen Griesgraber, composer), and Brian Nozny, plus Andrew Violette's Rave in its scintillating 75-minute entirety. Fantastic stuff. Wish I had time to listen. … [Read more...]